The official CBS 60 minutes thread

[LukeSchmid]

Pretty convincing, especially with all the evidence about the doping cover up. Bruyneel is also in big trouble over this as he was involved in the meeting as part of the cover up. I had my doubts over that story but with the head of the lab saying it happened no more doubt about it.

 

[Francois the Postman]

UCI official(s) helped set up the meeting with the Suise lab to "make it go away".

I am soooo not interested in Lance, that's the testimony bit I was waiting for. There are pressing questions for many people on the table now, long before that Fed investigation exposed anything [I didn't expect that to be frank].

Interesting times....

So Hincapie and BMC?
Bruyneel's active license?
UCI internally?

Bring on Monday.....

 

[The Hitch]

Wow a Donnie Brasco mob story.

This i gotta see.

 

[Merckx index]

On the TdS sample: it sounds like a sample in the "gray area" as many EPO tests are. But they are supposed to be ruled negative, though they are likely positive. Ashenden was referring to this when he said two other 99 samples in addition to the six were probably positive.

But if it was a "gray area" sample, there should have been no reason to have a meeting with the lab director. It should have been a negative, end of story. It's possible that this meeting served as a warning to LA to be careful. Or it's possible it was a real positive that was presented as "gray area" to get him off. That they agreed to call it just suspicious.

I hope to H-- Tyler got everything right, because if there is any discrepancy between what he said here and what he told the GJ it will really hurt the fed's case. Frankie comes across as a much better witness to me. I had a poor connection, but it seems TH was constantly looking away from the interviewer rather than right in his eyes. When he talked about the gold medal, which was obviously the truth, he came much more alive.

 

[luckyboy]

Wait, what? I thought it was going to be the whole show.

Interesting to see someone confirm all the stuff we have found out about. The Tour de Suisse stuff + meeting is definitely the biggest stuff though.

 

[ManInFull]

Pretty convincing, especially with all the evidence about the doping cover up. Bruyneel is also in big trouble over this as he was involved in the meeting as part of the cover up. I had my doubts over that story but with the head of the lab saying it happened no more doubt about it.

Lance: TH is simply jealous that a one-balled cycling god could win the TdF 7 consecutive times and become an inspiration to cancer patients everywhere. None of TH's claims are true.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Tyler Hamilton talking about what happened in 2007 is almost exactly the same as what Scott Mercier said was happening at US Postal. Two independent witnesses giving supporting each other. Quite clearly US Postal was rotten to the core before Armstrong joined and he just fitted in perfectly to the doping system.

 

[luckyboy]

Wonder what was said for the rest of the 3 hours.

Tyler didn't want it to just be about Armstrong.

 

[Siriuscat]

Brilliant....

 

[thirteen]

Wow a Donnie Brasco mob story.

This i gotta see.

you are soooooo bad!

sweet dreams

 

[LukeSchmid]

On the TdS sample: it sounds like a sample in the "gray area" as many EPO tests are. But they are supposed to be ruled negative, though they are likely positive. Ashenden was referring to this when he said two other 99 samples in addition to the six were probably positive.

But if it was a "gray area" sample, there should have been no reason to have a meeting with the lab director. It should have been a negative, end of story. It's possible that this meeting served as a warning to LA to be careful. Or it's possible it was a real positive that was presented as "gray area" to get him off. That they agreed to call it just suspicious.

I hope to H-- Tyler got everything right, because if there is any discrepancy between what he said here and what he told the GJ it will really hurt the fed's case. Frankie comes across as a much better witness to me. I had a poor connection, but it seems TH was constantly looking away from the interviewer rather than right in his eyes. When he talked about the gold medal, which was obviously the truth, he came much more alive.

He seemed at times to be trying to mitigate what Armstrong had done by stressing they all did it, Armstrong was just helping out a friend, that he had asked Armstrong for EPO and that is the only reason Armstrong arranged its supply. I think it makes him more credible and if he was not telling the truth it was because he was holding things back, not that he was making things up.

 

[theswordsman]

The Swiss lab head was big. The continued cash payments to Ferrari through 2010 were big. WADA knowing about the TdS, and USADA investigating is a big deal, especially since they went along to the Interpol meeting.

 

[Stingray34]

Quite damning...of the UCI. This, for mine, is the biggest news here. There's a lot 60 Mins didn't cover - talking to Ashenden and the 99 samples could have been useful - but they packed a lot in and the casual audience will have some real FFT here.

This is going to be a week of damage control for the UCI and Johan Bruyneel. The lab itself admits they arranged the meeting...gulp. Not a discredited, disgruntled 'bitter' ex-cyclist.

The times. A-changin.

 

[Kennf1]

Tyler came across as sympathetic. Some new stuff, especially the 2001 positive, but I got the same feeling I got from the SI article-- there's sooooo much more out there. Also, did anyone else notice that 60 Min. kept talking about the federal investigation as though it were strictly about whether Lance cheated? Kind of simplistic. No mention of Hematassist.

Will Verbruggen send a late night drunken e-mail to Tyler? (I hope I hope)

 

[Michael Brown]

What a great piece. This reveals how rotten the sport was(?). Lots to chew on, but the thing that struck me is the positive test during the Tour of Switzerland...seems like the UCI wanted to handle Contador's clen positive the same way they handled LA's positive at the TdS....except they couldn't keep AC's positive under wraps.

This is even bigger than LA. And as long as the UCI is in charge, nothing good can happen.

 

[theswordsman]

He seemed at times to be trying to mitigate what Armstrong had done by stressing they all did it, Armstrong was just helping out a friend, that he had asked Armstrong for EPO and that is the only reason Armstrong arranged its supply. I think it makes him more credible and if he was not telling the truth it was because he was holding things back, not that he was making things up.

That's what they said in the Overtime. It was "like pulling teeth" to get him to talk about Lance. At one point he stopped and said it seemed like they were beating up on Lance, and he preferred to beat up on the sport, or himself, first. They pointed out that every single time he said something about Lance doping, he said he did it too.

 

[petesam]

A rare quiet moment from living-not-so-strong on twitter. Waiting to see the tried and tested PR genius of "500 tests and not one single positive" - not quite going to cut it this time methinks!

 

[Cobblestoned]

I gotta admit, this is more fun watching than today's Giro stage was--and that was pretty epic.

I think "white lunch box" is a phrase with staying power, expect to hear it a lot around here in the future.

Come on. Still no tears by Tyler.
Whole thing too focused on Lance.lol
Interviewer hot like a dog and doesn't care about Tyler.
Anyway, Tyler is good guy. He obviously still likes and defends Lance. No surprise.
That 60minutes looked like made for kids. Some cycling education first, everything clearly and slowly spoken. Like "Sendung mit der Maus"

Wonder if those boxes at USPS were made of paper.
What does an American lunch box look like ? Must be XXL.
In Germany and at T-Mobile they at least used cotton musettes.
Suits a cyclist better.
I guess Johan and Lance improved that after their arrival and told them to better use musettes.

 

[Kennf1]

He seemed at times to be trying to mitigate what Armstrong had done by stressing they all did it, Armstrong was just helping out a friend, that he had asked Armstrong for EPO and that is the only reason Armstrong arranged its supply. I think it makes him more credible and if he was not telling the truth it was because he was holding things back, not that he was making things up.

Exactly. He does not come across as bitter, or having a grudge, and seems genuinely pained to be talking about this stuff. It's hard to dislike him. Much better witness than Floyd (sorry Floyd).

 

[ElChingon]

I guess this is just a short version of it?

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366960n&tag=mg;60minutes

You'll need to skip past the Pete Rose flash back.

 

[riobonito92]

Fabiani to the NY Times

“Throughout this entire process CBS has demonstrated an unpardonable zeal to smear Lance Armstrong.”

 

[Stingray34]

The other bad news for Team Armstrong: confirmation the Feds are investigating corruption, fraud and drug trafficking/distribution - much bigger than just doping to win a bike race. The latter is the pre-text that establishes drug involvement. Also, cooperation with European authorities on Ferrari.

Edit: Also, that Lance has always been a supplier/had connections pre Tour domination.

 

[Epicycle]

Bjarne is damn glad this was a US TV program.

 

[Smera1]

I gotta admit, this is more fun watching than today's Giro stage was--and that was pretty epic.

I think "white lunch box" is a phrase with staying power, expect to hear it a lot around here in the future.

Yeah. White lunch box. Can imagine they opening it and saying : - hummm...what do we have for starters ?...Ahhhh Testosterone, delicious !...And for the main course ?... EPO! Yummy...

 

[nvpacchi]

Of course the Overtime interview announces how Lance has raised hundreds of millions for cancer....